3of5Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (left) talks to Tim Duncan (center) and LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during a timeout in the game against the Washington Wizards at the AT&T Center on Dec. 16, 2015.Photo: Kin Man Hui /San Antonio Express-News

4of5Tim Duncan goes up for a shot as the Spurs host the Thunder at the AT&T Center on March 12, 2016.Photo: Tom Reel /San Antonio Express-News

5of5Oklahoma City Thunder forward Enes Kanter (let) shoots against SSpurs forward Tim Duncan during the first half on March 12, 2016, in San Antonio.Photo: Darren Abate /Associated Press

Minutes after posing for his 19th career team portrait Monday, Spurs forward Tim Duncan ambled over to a gathering of media types on hand.

A photo-ready smile was still plastered on his face.

“How ya feeling?” a reporter asked.

Duncan answered with a chuckle.

“Old and slow,” he said.

Duncan admitted something else, too. The playoffs are getting closer, a month out now, and he can feel it in his 39-year-old bones the way your grandfather can sense a cold front blowing in.

In a way, Duncan’s 19th NBA season has been his strangest. At times, it has been a struggle.

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Home is where wins are

The Spurs own the third longest regular-season home winning streaks in NBA history:

48: *Golden State (2015-present; 30-0 this season)

44: Chicago (1995-96)

41: SPURS (2015-present; 32-0 this season)

40: Orlando (1995-96)

38: Boston (1985-86)

Did you know?

The Los Angeles Clippers are ....

... the last team to win a game that counts in the AT&T Center — Games 4 (114-105) and 6 (102-96) of last year’s first-round playoff series.

... the last team to win a regular-season game at the AT&T Center in regulation on Jan. 31, 2015 (105-85).

... one of the Spurs’ victims on their current home win streak, losing here earlier this season on Dec. 18, 2015 (115-107).

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Last summer, Duncan took another pay cut to accommodate the offseason arrival of All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Earning $5.25 million this season, Duncan is the Spurs’ sixth-highest paid player, making less than Boris Diaw and Danny Green.

On the floor, Duncan has had to step aside to make room for Aldridge. The transition hasn’t always been seamless.

Heading into the 67th game of their first season together Tuesday against the L.A. Clippers, Duncan acknowledges he is still searching for his niche as Aldridge’s sidekick.

“My (playing) time varies, what I’m asked to do varies,” Duncan said. “Even at this point, I’m still trying to get comfortable with that.”

Duncan, of course, is grateful for Aldridge. His arrival, coupled with Kawhi Leonard’s emergence as a two-way star, has helped jimmy open Duncan’s title window for at least another season.

That prospect was hard to imagine coming out of last season’s first-round playoff ouster against the same Clippers team that visits Tuesday.

Duncan knew when he agreed to re-sign with the Spurs, and helped recruit Aldridge, that his role would be different. He didn’t know how different until the season began.

“Before, all our post-up plays were for Timmy,” point guard Tony Parker said. “Now, everything is for L.A. (Aldridge). Timmy has been deferring and being a team player like everybody else.”

Duncan is averaging 8.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game — all lows in his Hall of Fame career.

Sometimes he closes games in the fourth quarter. Sometimes he doesn’t.

Coach Gregg Popovich said Duncan’s adjustment has been a necessary component for the new-look Spurs.

“He probably has deferred a little more,” Popovich said. “He looks to LaMarcus and David (West) to try and get them a little more involved in the offense.”

Throughout his career, Duncan has been asked to tweak his game to fit a diverse list of frontcourt mates. This season marks the first time the Spurs have brought in an All-Star who plays Duncan’s position.

Duncan has responded by trying to find the best way to chip in each night.

“He knows how to play,” Diaw said. “He’s such an unselfish player that he is just trying to help the team.”

Always, it means serving as the back-line anchor of the Spurs’ NBA-leading defense.

Seldom does it mean putting up points.

Duncan has posted 27 single-digit scoring nights this season. He has yet to score 20.

Sacramento Kings coach George Karl, who has schemed against Duncan for much of his career, remains fascinated by the Spurs’ latest reinvention.

He traces a line of go-to Spurs from David Robinson to Duncan to Manu Ginobili to Parker and now to Leonard and Aldridge.

“San Antonio has a great way of changing their responsibilities in a quiet but pretty impressive way,” Karl said. “Duncan doesn’t get the touches he’s gotten in the past. It’s gradually becoming Leonard’s team, and maybe Aldridge’s.”

Duncan remains a proud player.

Deep down, he believes himself still capable of the type of performances he delivered against the Clippers in last season’s playoffs.

A sampling of Duncan’s box scores from that series, less than a year ago: 28 points and 11 rebounds in Game 2, 22 and 14 with three blocks in Game 4, 21 and 11 in Game 5, 27 and 11 with the season on the line in Game 7.

If Duncan has ever felt compelled to kvetch about his new life as a role player, he hasn’t done it publicly.

Another number means more to him: 56-10, the Spurs’ record and a franchise best after 66 games.

“The team is playing great, and everyone is stepping up and trying to find their roles,” Duncan said. “I’m trying to do the same.”